Visual content has become one of the most desirable types of content — because it’s so darn easy to consume. But it’s not enough to just create beautiful, funny, engaging visual content … marketers are now wondering where the best place to promote that visual content is.

Just about every major social network allows marketers to share visual content in some capacity, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that particular network is the best medium for visual promotion. And in a world of hundreds of social networks, marketers need to optimize their time to promote the most appropriate types of content on the most appropriate channels.

Until now, it’s seemed like Pinterest really takes the cake in terms of the best social network for visual content promotion. But recently, Facebook launched a little something called Collections, which is a Pinterest-style feature that allows users to add products to a wishlist or curate them into a particular list. Sounds kind of like Pinterest, doesn’t it?

It did to us. So it got us thinking … which is the better social network for promoting visual content? Pinterest, or Facebook? I’m sure you’ll come up with your own opinion, but let’s evaluate both sides of the coin right now and see if we can’t figure this thing out, using some fascinating statistics as fodder for our debate.

98% of people surveyed with a Pinterest account said they also have a Facebook and/or Twitter account.

Facebook has over 900 million active users — 500 of whom are estimated to use Facebook daily. Meanwhile, Pinterest has over 10 million users, 98% of whom have a Facebook and/or Twitter account.

Clearly, Facebook has a much larger audience. And when it comes to sharing content online, you want it to reach as many people as possible. Duh. As such, Facebook’s larger active user base covers a wider spectrum of people, whereas Pinterest’s user base aligns with some really specific demographic and psychographic traits. I mean, sure, most business could be successful on Pinterest if they thought outside the box, but the fact remains the users there are certainly more apt to gravitate towards lifestyle-oriented products.

If Pinterest is so targeted, wouldn’t it then be better for your diverse visual content to be on Facebook, where it can be seen by more people … and a wider variety of people? That way if you post something more data-driven, or perhaps targeted to a male audience, you’d see greater success. And even if you posted something that would do well on Pinterest, most of those users are likely already using Facebook! So you’ll still reach them.

Winner: Facebook

Publishers who use infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don’t.